Yes she does need help . Perhaps it was offered at her release but was declined . Marlene was simply dumped into the streets and right away started drinking .Thats what usually happens .

Many over the years have attempted to help Marlene get the care that she needs . for a variety of reasons all of those attempts failed .Marlene again is staight on a course back to jail .

It remains though that Ray with all of his considerable problems must suffer contending with Marlene stirring things up at his front door . He has a long , difficult history knowing her .Today he still has an infirm hand and balance problems because of a blow to the head delivered by Marlene .

No one let Marlene walk in and do anything to Ray . Marlene does what she wants to do and Ray easily dealt with the situation .Of course Ray should not have had to deal with such a situation but there is really no legal alternitive that will prevent Marlene from walking into Ray's whenever she chooses to do so .There were several people there at the time to help Ray if necessary.

We've rejected several rather nasty comments suggesting violent alternitives to dealing with Marlene peacefully .Among them the use of baseball bats . The situation isn't that severe . Such alternitive are illegal and would not guarantee that more violence would not occur later .

Marlene needs help , aplace to live and care suited to her . She may or may not have been offered such care .If such care was offered she declined it .If she wasn't then those agencies that provide such care should step in and help .

Marlene wanted to be with John when she was released from Rikers island last week .Some time ago being with John was what cost her the support of the program at BRC that had been helping her stay off the street for more than a year .When she left the program to be with John , Marlene started drinking heavily again .That all led to several back-to-back incarcerations and the pictures posted here .

Unfortunately, Marlene has some severe psychological and substance abuse issues, and I wouldn't be surprised to hear that she refuses treatment like so many in her condition do. They don't want to take their meds and feel like they are giving up control. Sadly, there isn't much we can do about Marlene. All we can do is call the cops when we see her giving Ray a hard time and focus on protecting him and other innocent people.

Marlene can also be one of the gentlest and sweetest of souls . We spent some time with her under the sidewalk shed at Ray's yesterday afternoon .Marlene was distraught over the fact that John had been arrested in a TSP Tuesday during a buy-and-bust sweep at the chess tables .We calmly talked between moments of tears ,hysterical laughter and outburst of dilusional utterances .

Mostly she was sad . She was hungry so we bought her a sandwich from Ray's .She wanted a beer also. We bought the beer for her and she sipped on it politely for some time .

She also was having periods of severe pain which made her scream and cry tears . She claimed that the pain was in her back and in her brain . We offered to call an ambulence but she declined .Some friends of her's from the chess tables walked across the street , beers in hand , and gathered with her . she was happy to see them ,high-fiving them .Later The gang all dissapeared into the dark of TSP.

Today we learned that John was released from jail and that he and Marlene will be staying in the Bronx with Carl "Santa Clause" Lee .We do not know how long John and Marlene will be living off the street way up in the Bronx . but it was very generous of Carl to help them .

Sometimes I tell stories about my days in the East Village. Alcohol, rats, Anit-Folk, Kim's on A, and bums are my lead topics. Highlight on the fact that I have seen poop come out of this woman's asshole. Nothing can ever take away these memories away.

Once in the early 90s, Hot Dog saved a friends life. At that point it was possible to sleap in the park and a lot of homeless people did. Kevin was an actor and a drunk and used to hang out in Tomkins Sq park quoting Shakespeare for anyone who would care to listen - one night his sleaping bag caught on fire, and hot dog saw it and put out the fire. It is pretty safe to say that she saved Kevins life that time. I wish someone would consider her life worth saving too.